Inventive public art project

Graffiti removal at the Waters Green UnderpassMacclesfield residents interested in giving a local grot spot a new facelift are being invited to meet with artists commissioned to help spruce up the area.Described as a ‘pop-up living room’ consultation event, shoppers and pedestrians using the Waters Green underpass will find the thoroughfare transformed into a ‘comfy’ living room setting with chairs, rug, lamp and table, allowing them to sit down and chat with the artists about Macclesfield life.

Their stories could then be represented in the final piece of public art.

Cheshire East Council is working with well-known local furniture store Arighi Bianchi and the nationally-renowned arts collective Glassball on an exciting project to make the walkway safe and environmentally appealing.

Councillor Sam Gardner, Cabinet member in charge of open spaces, said: “This is a great opportunity for the local people of Macclesfield to influence what will be a dramatic piece of public art.

“It will transform a rather cold and uninviting subway, plagued by anti-social behaviour in the past, into something of great local interest and visually striking.

“This public art is envisaged to create a welcoming look and feel to the area, generating a sense of place, reflecting the character and uniqueness of the town.

“The Council is grateful to Arighi Bianchi and Glassball for their work and involvement in this project and for the imaginative way in which they intend to engage with the local people.”

The ‘pop up living room’ will be open to the public this Friday, January 22, from 11.30am to 3.30pm.

The Waters Green underpass and Middlewood Way are heavily used by traffic and pedestrians and run immediately below the Manchester-to-London railway line and the Silk Road.

Cora Glasser from Glassball said: “We aim to deliver a unique event in the Waters Green underpass by encouraging people to stop, sit down and chat with us on their way through.

“We aim to capture anecdotes and stories about Macclesfield as well as consult with people about our ideas for the artwork intended for the underpass.”

Cheshire East Council has already begun extensive work on improving the Waters Green and Middlewood Way area of the town, installing two new CCTV cameras, substantial lighting enhancements, significant landscape improvements, deep cleaning, removal of graffiti and painting street furniture.

Shrubbery and trees have been removed in places to give a feeling of open space, while walls and other hard landscaping have been remodelled or removed altogether.

Improvements carried out including removal of unwanted trees and shrubbery

Councillor Don Stockton, Cabinet member in charge of regeneration, said: “As a ‘residents first’ authority, this project demonstrates our commitment as a Council to ensuring that the people of Macclesfield have a safe and pleasant environment, where they can walk without fear or unease.”

Councillor Ainsley Arnold, Cabinet member with specific responsibility for Macclesfield said: “The Council has contributed £80,000 towards the scheme, with additional funding from Network Rail, a further £62,000 in section 106 monies from developers, plus a £5,000 grant from the Police and Crime Commissioner’s crime fund.

“This is money well spent and will improve an area of the town desperately in need of an imaginative transformation for the benefit of the people of Macclesfield and visitors to the town.”